THE BIG ANT, CARPENTERS. 47 



FLORENCE. Say, Ant, please tell us the name of the 

 Big ant. 



ANT. It is Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus Fabr. 

 subsp. vicinus Mayr. Var. luteangulus "Wheeler. 



FLORENCE. Well, what do you think o' that! The 

 name of a prince. No wonder it's the biggest ant in the 

 world. Oh, I mean its everyday name. 



ANT. Its common name is Carpenter Ant. 



FLORENCE. It must be a regular beaver. Well, if it 

 is a Carpenter, I suppose it builds its nest in wood. Now 

 111 find it. The books say that Carpenters gnaw galleries 

 in trees with their big jaws and make their homes in them, 

 but that sometimes they will use the vacated house of a 

 woodworm or of something else. 



ANT. They can make their house in the hardest kind 

 of wood, but partly decayed wood is easier to chisel out. 



FLORENCE. As there are no trees around here, I don't 

 know where to look for the nest. 



ANT. You'll be surprised some day that you didn't find 

 it long ago. 



ALBERT. The jaws of the Carpenter seem to be chisel, 

 ax, pinchers and saw all combined in one tool. All right 

 for wood as well as for other things. 



ANT. As there is no wood here, don't be too sure you 

 will find that ant's nest in trees in southern California. 



FLORENCE. I thank you. You nearly forgot and told 

 me something. I suppose that the ant is like man and can 

 adapt itself to almost anything. 



DOROTHY. It must be great to be a fine big ant like 

 the Carpenter. 



CECIL. Yes, but its large size is against it, for other 

 animals can see it and capture it for food. No wonder it 

 hides its nest, goes it alone, and so often loses its life. 



